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.TH MKTEMP 3C "Sep 15, 2004"
.SH NAME
mktemp \- make a unique file name  from a template
.SH SYNOPSIS
.LP
.nf
#include <stdlib.h>

\fBchar *\fR\fBmktemp\fR(\fBchar *\fR\fItemplate\fR);
.fi

.SH DESCRIPTION
.sp
.LP
The \fBmktemp()\fR function replaces the contents of the string pointed to by
\fItemplate\fR with a unique file name, and returns \fItemplate\fR. The string
in \fItemplate\fR should look like a file name with six trailing 'X's;
\fBmktemp()\fR will replace the 'X's with a character string that can be used
to create a unique file name. Only 26 unique file names per thread can be
created for each unique \fItemplate\fR.
.SH RETURN VALUES
.sp
.LP
The \fBmktemp()\fR function returns a pointer to the \fItemplate\fR on success
and \fBNULL\fR if unique name cannot be created.
.SH ERRORS
.sp
.LP
No errors are defined.
.SH EXAMPLES
.LP
\fBExample 1 \fRGenerate a filename.
.sp
.LP
The following example replaces the contents of the "template" string with a
10-character filename beginning with the characters "file" and returns a
pointer to the "template" string that contains the new filename.

.sp
.in +2
.nf
#include <stdlib.h>
\&...
char template[] = "/tmp/fileXXXXXX";
char *ptr;
ptr = mktemp(template);
.fi
.in -2

.SH USAGE
.sp
.LP
Between the time a pathname is created and the file opened, it is possible for
some other process to create a file with the same name. The \fBmkstemp\fR(3C)
function avoids this problem and is preferred over this function.
.SH ATTRIBUTES
.sp
.LP
See \fBattributes\fR(7) for descriptions of the following attributes:
.sp

.sp
.TS
box;
c | c
l | l .
ATTRIBUTE TYPE	ATTRIBUTE VALUE
_
Interface Stability	Standard
_
MT-Level	Safe
.TE

.SH SEE ALSO
.sp
.LP
.BR mkstemp (3C),
.BR tmpfile (3C),
.BR tmpnam (3C),
.BR attributes (7),
.BR standards (7)
